Future dates to be announced . Please email llee@fmcs.gov to be added to the notification list

FMCS recognizes that, fundamentally, constructive labor-management relationships and collective bargaining provide workers and companies with the most enduring tools for achieving productivity, innovation and competitiveness -- the central ingredients of an equitable, stable, and growing economy. The pressures of the global economy, however, often result in labor practices that fail to balance the needs of workers and their employers. Developing market economies may not have the legal frameworks or government institutions necessary to address these concerns. For this reason, FMCS services are often provided to trading partners, who have committed to enact or enforce progressive labor laws, but who lack the experience, skills, or institutional capacity to do so.

Workshop students will examine and apply different negotiating styles, from positional/distributive to collaborative, and they will explore a variety of mediation styles and methodologies. Activities and role plays will allow students to practice these techniques and appreciate their value in a wide variety of domestic, international, business, labor and other conflict situations.

Course Objectives

Through a variety of instructional methodologies, including short lectures, videos, role plays and other activities, students will:

Learn role of FMCS in domestic and international conflict resolution community

Understand basic components of conflict in the context of domestic and international labor relations

Learn to analyze disputes and apply various negotiation and mediation techniques and strategies to resolve them